TIPS & TECHNIQUES

SOME QUICK SCALE PLANT TIPS
It is almost always planting season. I hear many garden railroaders talking about "scale plants" for their railroads both at meets and train shows. One of the topics on large scale forums concerns plants, and Garden Railways has devoted many articles to the subject. Back when we had our mini-convention in Clearwater, Linda Eubanks did a "how to" seminar on plants for your railroad. In it she covered all aspects of plants from selection and planting, to the pruning and care of established plants. I will try to summarize many of her points in this article. Many plants can be adapted to our layouts, and with some planning and care, will not overgrow and overpower our railroad. The selection of plants is an important consideration. Look at your layout, and decide where you want your plants to be located. Make sure you pay attention to whether the plant will be in shade or full sun, and ask the seller about this before you buy. In our Florida climate, for small treelike plants, I have found that Dwarf Azelea, Mini Boxwood, and Hawiian Snow Bush do real well. There are also several species of dwarf evergreens that seem to survive in our climate that can simulate pines in the wild. To turn these plants into trees, they must be trimmed and shaped using clippers so that they have a trunk with foliage only at the top. Once this is done, take the plant and put it into a small clay pot (open the drain hole if it is closed) with a little bit of fertilizer. Additional potting soil may have to be added. The whole pot is then planted on the layout and covered up. The small clay pot keeps the roots from spreading, thereby keeping the plant from getting huge. This is similar to what the Japanese do with their Bonsai trees to keep them small. The plant will live, and will get water and nourishment, but will remain small. You will periodically have to trim the plants to keep them looking like trees, but the result will be very satisfactory.